Canada’s economy is leaning on real estate once again. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) data shows building construction investment hit $19.1 billion in January. Investment is 3.4% higher than a month before, and 12.0% higher than it was last year. There’s a bit of a catch though — the growth disappears once adjusted for inflation. It […]
Time for your cheat sheet on this week’s top stories. Canadian Real Estate Quantitative Sleaze: How The Bank Of Canada Mislead Politicians On Real Estate & QE The BoC Governor Macklem appeared before Parliament’s finance committee a few days ago. The head of the central bank explained quantitative ease (QE) doesn’t impact home prices. We […]
Canadians are still saving at an elevated rate, but it’s on the path to normalization — that’s a good thing. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) data shows the household savings rate fell to 6.4% in Q4 2021. The rate was 9% in the previous quarter and 11.4% in the same quarter last year. A shrinking savings […]
Canadian employment made huge gains, as the economy continues to bounce back. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) reported employment increased by 337,000 (+1.8%) jobs in February. Rising jobs pushed the unemployment rate down to just 5.5%, the lowest since May 2019, before public health measures. Experts see the robust employment gains supporting much higher interest rates. […]
Oh. Snap. Canada’s central bank just threw monetary policy shade at the Government of Canada. The Bank of Canada (BoC) just released a new study called The Central Bank Strikes Back! Credibility of Monetary Policy under Fiscal Influence. In it, they examine how a central bank should react when pressured by the government. They argue […]
Canadian real estate has a new risk factor catching the attention of regulators — CLPs. Combined Mortgage-HELOC Loan Plans (CLPs), better known as readvanceable mortgages, are fueling higher home prices. That was the take from OSFI, the country’s bank regulator. CLPs are rarely mentioned by regulators, but they’ve come up in several speeches since last […]
Canada’s central bank head piqued the interest of economists, and not because of his dazzling personality. Speaking to lawmakers, the Bank of Canada (BoC) Governor Tiff Macklem explained quantitative ease (QE) has no impact on housing. He further explained demand and the cost of housing determines mortgage demand. The statement was odd, not because he […]
We’re only two months into the year but Canada’s real estate market is seeing the inventory story change fast. An analysis from RBC shows key markets have seen inventory improve for February. The bank hesitates to call it a trend, but markets are getting close to “balanced.” As interest rates rise, home sales are expected […]
Canada released the most Canadian look at COVID-19 deaths — by including real estate. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) studied age-adjusted COVID-19 mortality rates by housing type. The national stats agency found elevated mortality rates amongst those that live in high rise buildings. This was especially true for low income households, with one key exception. High […]
The global energy shock is driving costs higher everywhere, and Canadians can feel it at the pump. BMO Capital Markets took a stab at estimating the consumer impact from rising prices. Their research shows gas was ~$1.80/liter on Monday, up from $1.60/liter last week. That’s on top of the increase from last year, sending costs […]
